The success of a hair color treatment depends on safe and controlled application of chemical dyes in a timely manner. Such chemical dyes, especially fluids, or those that contain volatile components such as solvents, may be allergenic, irritating, or even toxic if handled incorrectly. In addition, chemical dyes of the type used in hair color products can leave permanent stains if they are spilled on clothing, furniture, countertops, or floors. Moreover, skin can become stained or irritated if the color is allowed to make contact with bare skin for prolonged periods.
Hair color products are typically packaged with detailed application instructions, but it is often left up to the professional hair colorist to assemble the necessary tools for applying the product safely and consistently. For example, some instructions direct the user of the product to mix chemicals in a glass or plastic container, and to apply the chemical with a brush. If an open container such as a color bowl is used, product may be lost to evaporation and the resulting fumes may be unpleasant or even unsafe. Hair products intended for consumers are generally packaged with a color bottle or other application tools along with hair color (dye) and developer (peroxide). Consumers at home may be supplied a brush that is attached to the hair bottle to create lighter streaks in the hair or to retouch grey roots. While application with a brush typically permits better control and is appropriate for salon applications, brush application is difficult for consumers and home users of hair color almost always use a bottle having a short cone for product delivery.
The success of a hair color treatment relies on the precision of the application to the areas of the hair one desires and the speed at which one can apply the color. The color/dye is stored in a separate container from the developer/peroxide which activates the color when the two are mixed together. The dye and peroxide solutions are mixed immediately before application and as soon as the developer and color are mixed, a chemical process begins that changes the quality of the finished product. As the mixed product ages, it becomes more oxidized and less effective. In products intended to lighten hair color, the capability of the product to lighten decreases as the mixed product ages. Products intended to darken hair color, produce darker, muddier, and less attractive hair color as the mixed product ages. Consequently, the speed at which the product is applied can determine the quality of the resulting hair color. The degradation of the dye/peroxide mixture is especially problematic for home consumers who typically must rapidly, accurately, and uniformly apply the mixture to their own hair to produce satisfactory results.
Some hair color products are shipped with a small squeeze bottle having a screw cap closure with a simple cone-shaped nozzle that must be inverted to apply the product. Such a method of delivery is cumbersome for self-use, slows the delivery process, and is prone to leakage and spills. Furthermore, after initially squeezing the bottle, and upon release of manual pressure, a one-way nozzle tends to suck product back into the bottle while the air pressure is equilibrating, thus interrupting continuous flow of product during application. Also, in the case of fluids of higher viscosity or gels, some product inevitably remains in the bottom of the bottle and is wasted.
In general, fluid chemicals such as cleaning fluids or laboratory chemicals are often packaged and sold in, or may be mixed and stored by a user in, flexible squeeze bottles made from a soft, high density polyethylene. Some laboratory squeeze bottles have a wide mouth that is easy to fill, and that is covered by a screw cap having a conical tapered polypropylene nozzle coupled to a tube (pickup tube) that extends into the fluid reservoir. The tapered nozzle provides a simple way either to control the application of fluid chemical, or to use the chemical as a wash. The user controls the amount of fluid dispensed by simply squeezing the flexible bottle. Such bottles are, however, prone to dripping and chemical evaporation in response to changes in ambient air temperature and barometric pressure. Also, they must be maintained in an upright position, or the fluid will simply spill out of the dispensing cap. What is needed for safe and effective application of hair color products is a hair color delivery system suitable for mixing and storing the product in a closed container, and for applying the hair color in a continuous and controlled manner in either a salon setting or at home.
Existing vented squeeze bottle valves (for example, annular valves of the type commonly used for sports drinks or condiments) typically exhibit axial or rotational symmetry so that outside air passes through the cap around the perimeter of the dispenser as fluid chemical is squeezed out of the dispenser. Conventional dispensing bottles include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,543 to Rohrbacher, U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,457 to Klassen, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,702 to Horvath, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,314 to Roggenburg and U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,518 to Laauwe.